Issiah Ross mistrial: What happens to case accusing him of murdering 14-year-old?

Hillsborough

Three weeks ago, Issiah Ross faced the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.

By Thursday afternoon, a jury had convicted him of killing one teen, but failed to agree on his guilt in a second slaying. That left prosecutors, defense attorneys and three families waiting to see what comes next.

Jurors found Ross, 21, guilty of second-degree murder in the Sept. 17, 2022 killing of Devin Clark. That same afternoon, Judge Stephanie Reese sentenced him to up to 25 years in prison.

But the jurors were split on whether Clark deliberately and with malice killed Lyric Woods, 14, prompting a mistrial on a first-degree murder charge and reopening a case many thought would end this week.

Now, the decision shifts from the jury box to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, where prosecutors must decide whether to retry the charge, pursue a plea deal, or dismiss the charge altogether.

The choice in such cases is often shaped by what prosecutors learn from jurors about their discussions behind closed doors.

A warning that jurors were divided

Ross was accused of killing the two teenagers in 2022 in a rural Orange County field, after Woods slipped away from her nearby home and joined Clark and Ross in a borrowed SUV.

On Wednesday afternoon, the jury’s foreman told Reese they had reached a verdict in Clark’s killing but were split 8–4 on Woods’ case. The foreman did not reveal whether the majority favored guilt or acquittal on the first-degree murder charge.

That split is the first thing prosecutors will likely try to understand before moving forward.

“Because an 8–4 guilty is evaluated much differently than an 8–4 not guilty,” said Daniel Meier, a defense attorney who practices across North Carolina and has handled about a dozen mistrials over his career.

In cases where most jurors leaned heavily toward acquittal, Meier said, prosecutors often decide not to retry the case. When the split tilts more toward guilt, a second trial — or a plea deal — is more likely.

Mark Edwards, a longtime defense attorney who practices across the state, said next steps for defense attorneys after mistrials include getting and reviewing the transcript of the entire trial, which can delay an immediate retrial.

Ross’s attorney, Jonathan Trapp, did ask for a transcript. He also told Reese, that Ross would like to appeal the conviction.

Just because one jury gets hung up doesn’t mean a second will reach the same result. In at least one of Edwards’ three mistrial cases, a second set of jurors came back and convicted his client.

Prosecutors often start with an advantage in retrials, Meier and Edwards said. During a first trial, disclosure rules require prosecutors to share extensive information about their witnesses and evidence, effectively laying out their case for the defense.

“We pretty much know what their case is,” Edwards said.

Defense attorneys, by contrast, are not required to be as specific. That said, in a retrial, prosecutors are more familiar and prepared to counter the defense’s claims.

Still, that advantage is not absolute.

Longtime defense attorney Ralph Frasier said mistrials can sometimes benefit the defense, which has seen the state’s full case and can refine its strategy.

Scheduling dozens of witnesses for a second trial can also be challenging for prosecutors, particularly as more time passes and memories fade.

Virginia Bridges covers criminal justice in the Triangle and across North Carolina for The News & Observer. Her work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The N&O maintains full editorial control of its journalism.

This story was originally published January 29, 2026 at 6:24 PM.